Can I Tow This?

[rangerdrive]

I do have the Curt receiver but I have a high quality weight distribution hitch. With weight distribution the receiver is rated up to 8,000 lbs. (limited to 7,500 max by the truck’s capabilities, of course). I was not aware there was much difference in the brake controllers besides aesthetics. What is it about the Redarc controller (the oem recommended tbc) that makes it better? Are there any other upgrades that would help make it safer? I’m thinking of upgrading to air springs (at least in the rear), bigger brakes and inter cooler.

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[t4thfavor]

I do have the Curt receiver but I have a high quality weight distribution hitch. With weight distribution the receiver is rated up to 8,000 lbs. (limited to 7,500 max by the truck’s capabilities, of course). I was not aware there was much difference in the brake controllers besides aesthetics. What is it about the Redarc controller (the oem recommended tbc) that makes it better? Are there any other upgrades that would help make it safer? I’m thinking of upgrading to air springs (at least in the rear), bigger brakes and inter cooler.

The ford controller ties into the center brake light so that it works when active emergency braking kicks in. That’s the only difference other than the hole in your dash that it drills.

 

[VAMike]

The ford controller ties into the center brake light so that it works when active emergency braking kicks in. That’s the only difference other than the hole in your dash that it drills.

And ripping apart the interior

 

[t4thfavor]

And ripping apart the interior

And that...

Only about 230 of this is towing the big trailer mentioned. Ran into some big cross winds in the Great Plains of Michigan, but even then it was fine.

 

[Montana Ranger]

We've been towing a 24' (29' LOA) travel trailer at around 6,500 lbs with water. This is a bit longer and heavier than we had originally planned, but has been working out okay. I really wouldn't consider anything longer or heavier. Our highest comfortable highway speed is 65, but we back off to 60 or 55 if there is any significant crosswind as we do get bounced around quite a bit. Going faster than 65 doesn't feel confident or comfortable, even in calm wind, and that would just further tank the mileage anyway. The biggest disappointment is range, which is about 185 miles as our mileage at highway speeds averages only about 9 mpg. I really wish we had an extra 5 gallons or so of fuel capacity. We have more than enough power going up mountain passes at highway speeds but we typically go a bit slower on the downhill side. The tow mode on the transmission works surprisingly well, automatically downshifting when you touch the brakes, meaning I rarely have to manually downshift. The Ford/Redarc brake controller works well, and the few times that I've had to brake aggressively, the truck and trailer have behaved compliantly. I've never had to manually hit the brake controller. The one time I got a surprise gust at the peak of a hill, everything straightened out almost immediately. The Ranger's built-in sway control likely restored order before I had a chance.

 

[t4thfavor]

Mine is maybe 6k loaded, but I’m averaging about 11.5mpg. I’ll probably keep a 5 gallon gas can on board in case I can’t find a station that I can comfortably pull a camper like that into because range does suck with 18 gallons onboard.

 

[gbritt89]

I do have the Curt receiver but I have a high quality weight distribution hitch. With weight distribution the receiver is rated up to 8,000 lbs. (limited to 7,500 max by the truck’s capabilities, of course). I was not aware there was much difference in the brake controllers besides aesthetics. What is it about the Redarc controller (the oem recommended tbc) that makes it better? Are there any other upgrades that would help make it safer? I’m thinking of upgrading to air springs (at least in the rear), bigger brakes and inter cooler.

Seems like others have chimed in on the ford TBC. FWIW "ripping apart the interior" is a cheap excuse to not go with what ford has decided will work with the systems on the truck. It's all replaceable parts should you break something. You aren't going to have some death rattle if you can follow the included coloring book, they made the instructions so easy a Marine could do it.

I broke like a 3-5 dollar clip removing my rear seat. Trip to parts desk and a week later I was good to go. Everything else was smooth sailing. Everything that should've popped right off... popped right back into place. One t-50 torx bolt for rear seatbelt hanger. I personally chose not to drill a crude hole in the dash just ordered the lightforce fascia. There are many other mounting locations. Some people have flush mounted the dial on their center console.

In regards to air springs on the rear, there is a much cheaper/less time consuming alternative some forum members have reported back nothing but good things on. Look up "timbren SES"

Sharp looking rig, post back when you have logged some miles or made some changes to your setup!

 

[VAMike]

Seems like others have chimed in on the ford TBC. FWIW "ripping apart the interior" is a cheap excuse to not go with what ford has decided will work with the systems on the truck. It's all replaceable parts should you break something. You aren't going to have some death rattle if you can follow the included coloring book, they made the instructions so easy a Marine could do it.

Everyone can make their own decisions once they put on their big boy pants. I personally have no desire to rip apart the interior to enable functionality I simply don't care about, and some guy on the internet calling that a "cheap excuse" doesn't really matter.

 

[gbritt89]

Everyone can make their own decisions once they put on their big boy pants. I personally have no desire to rip apart the interior to enable functionality I simply don't care about, and some guy on the internet calling that a "cheap excuse" doesn't really matter.

That is perfectly fine for YOU! However you shouldn't sway others to follow your footsteps just because your balls are bigger than your brains. About to hit the snooze button it's been fun Mike!

 

[Deleted member 773]

Upgrade the sway bars and get bags for the rear. Do some aggressive 60-0 stops at max weight and get your brake controller gains dialed in and see how the truck/trailer handles it. Usually a vehicle has no problem towing something near gvw, problems occur when you have to take evasive maneuvers, especially in rain, snow, etc

 

[t4thfavor]

Upgrade the sway bars and get bags for the rear. Do some aggressive 60-0 stops at max weight and get your brake controller gains dialed in and see how the truck/trailer handles it. Usually a vehicle has no problem towing something near gvw, problems occur when you have to take evasive maneuvers, especially in rain, snow, etc

Just did another 160 miles mostly expressway. But northern Michigan has some crazy sweeping hills and valleys. It was 99.9% free of drama.

gas mileage was doa though... 12.7 over the last 566 miles only a little over half of that is towing...

 

[ElSolo]

We've been towing a 24' (29' LOA) travel trailer at around 6,500 lbs with water. This is a bit longer and heavier than we had originally planned, but has been working out okay. I really wouldn't consider anything longer or heavier. Our highest comfortable highway speed is 65, but we back off to 60 or 55 if there is any significant crosswind as we do get bounced around quite a bit. Going faster than 65 doesn't feel confident or comfortable, even in calm wind, and that would just further tank the mileage anyway. The biggest disappointment is range, which is about 185 miles as our mileage at highway speeds averages only about 9 mpg. I really wish we had an extra 5 gallons or so of fuel capacity. We have more than enough power going up mountain passes at highway speeds but we typically go a bit slower on the downhill side. The tow mode on the transmission works surprisingly well, automatically downshifting when you touch the brakes, meaning I rarely have to manually downshift. The Ford/Redarc brake controller works well, and the few times that I've had to brake aggressively, the truck and trailer have behaved compliantly. I've never had to manually hit the brake controller. The one time I got a surprise gust at the peak of a hill, everything straightened out almost immediately. The Ranger's built-in sway control likely restored order before I had a chance.

This is good info for those of us looking into a TT for our Ranger. Our family is looking into the Coachman Apex Nano 208bhs. It's 25' long (hitch to tail); 7.5' wide; 3948lbs dry and 6000lbs GVRW; unloaded hitch weight is 516lbs.

Given your experience with your rig, what are your thoughts on the Ranger being able to comfortably tow the Apex 208bhs?

I tend to be a conservative driver when pulling any kind of load. That means I'll max out at 65mph even in ideal conditions. I'd drive slower if the conditions called for it.

The numbers all seem to work for the Ranger being able to tow the 208bhs. I'm more focused on learning what others' real-world experience was towing a trailer of that size with a Ranger (as opposed to getting input from guys that only drive a dually and have no experience towing with the Ranger... if I listened to that, I'd only tow with a semi). Does it handle windy conditions well? What about going up grades? Any concern about engine or transmission temp?

Bottom line, are you comfortable towing your rig or are you rushing out to get a bigger truck?

We don't plan on towing anything close to full time and would only be taking 4-5 trips a year (mostly weekend camping).

 

[t4thfavor]

This is good info for those of us looking into a TT for our Ranger. Our family is looking into the Coachman Apex Nano 208bhs. It's 25' long (hitch to tail); 7.5' wide; 3948lbs dry and 6000lbs GVRW; unloaded hitch weight is 516lbs.

Given your experience with your rig, what are your thoughts on the Ranger being able to comfortably tow the Apex 208bhs?

I tend to be a conservative driver when pulling any kind of load. That means I'll max out at 65mph even in ideal conditions. I'd drive slower if the conditions called for it.

The numbers all seem to work for the Ranger being able to tow the 208bhs. I'm more focused on learning what others' real-world experience was towing a trailer of that size with a Ranger (as opposed to getting input from guys that only drive a dually and have no experience towing with the Ranger... if I listened to that, I'd only tow with a semi). Does it handle windy conditions well? What about going up grades? Any concern about engine or transmission temp?

Bottom line, are you comfortable towing your rig or are you rushing out to get a bigger truck?

We don't plan on towing anything close to full time and would only be taking 4-5 trips a year (mostly weekend camping).

With my prior trailer (Forrest River 207BH, comparable to your 208bhs), I was completely comfortable. Now that I've stepped up to a much larger trailer, I would recommend only experienced people tow something that big (Keystone Passport 2920BH GT). It's not really about the weight, its about controlling that much of a wind sail.

 

[Montana Ranger]

Given your experience with your rig, what are your thoughts on the Ranger being able to comfortably tow the Apex 208bhs?

It sounds like you'll be about 3-quarters-ton less than we're towing, so you will likely be okay. But now that we've towed several thousand miles since I wrote the above, (about 6,000 last year) I'll add a few more thoughts:

We had originally intended a camper closer to what you are considering, but decided to go a few feet longer after we had purchased our Ranger. (The extra 3 feet made a big difference in terms of living space and the arrangement of the interior) So that ate up most of the margin that existed between what the numbers said were good and where I would have preferred they'd be.

That means I now have to think twice before throwing another piece of gear in the camper and have to pay closer attention to filling the water tanks which could now easily put me up against limits. Also remember that the closer you are to the limits can also limit the amount of gear you can put in the truck bed. (Since we keep most of our gear pre-packed in the camper, this really isn't much of a limitation for us, but may be for you if you are expecting to be able to throw more than a hundred pounds of extra stuff in the back)

As I mentioned above, power isn't a problem with the Ranger. We easily pass the big rigs on the high-altitude passes we frequently go over without a sweat. Downhill is substantially less comfortable, especially considering how little compression braking is available from the diminutive 2.3L engine and the knowledge that the trailer behind us is considerably heavier than the truck is. I always shift to "sport" mode going down steep hills and shift way down, frequently to 3rd or even 2nd gear at highway speeds. Fortunately, the brake controller and trailer brakes work well. We endevour to stay at 55 mph or slower going downhill. (at which point all the big rigs we just passed going up pass us going down)

It's less than a comfortable cross-country drive, especially if there's much of a breeze at all. If it's the least bit gusty, you will feel it and will have to be correcting for it. I spend a lot of time studying trees as we pass to see which direction the wind is coming from, how hard and how gusty. Same for watching the rear view mirror in the interstates for big rigs or other large vehicles about to pass which you really do feel and it's unpleasant if they surprise you. It's times like that which I'd really appreciate an extra half-ton and foot of wheelbase.

As I said above, even in calm wind speeds above 65 do not feel comfortable or confident. Since I wrote the above, I now mostly stay at 60 because it's most comfortable and the mileage/range goes to hell after 55 anyway.

I was originally drawn to the Ranger because I really didn't want a full-sized truck for the half of the year that I wouldn't be towing with it. It really is a great size for those of us who don't need or want a full-sized truck the rest of the time, fits so comfortably in my garage, and can be had for substantially less than a similarly-equipped F-150. But in retrospect, considering the trailer we now tow I do think we might have been better off or at least a bit more comfortable with an F-150 weighing an extra half-ton with an extra ton-and-a-half of towing capacity and foot of wheelbase.

I'm not saying any of the above to discourage you, but just to let you know my personal experience. If we had settled for the trailer that is closer to what you are considering, I might feel different.

Hope this was useful. Good luck, and let us know how it works out.

 

[t4thfavor]

It sounds like you'll be about 3-quarters-ton less than we're towing, so you will likely be okay. But now that we've towed several thousand miles since I wrote the above, (about 6,000 last year) I'll add a few more thoughts:

We had originally intended a camper closer to what you are considering, but decided to go a few feet longer after we had purchased our Ranger. (The extra 3 feet made a big difference in terms of living space and the arrangement of the interior) So that ate up most of the margin that existed between what the numbers said were good and where I would have preferred they'd be.

That means I now have to think twice before throwing another piece of gear in the camper and have to pay closer attention to filling the water tanks which could now easily put me up against limits. Also remember that the closer you are to the limits can also limit the amount of gear you can put in the truck bed. (Since we keep most of our gear pre-packed in the camper, this really isn't much of a limitation for us, but may be for you if you are expecting to be able to throw more than a hundred pounds of extra stuff in the back)

As I mentioned above, power isn't a problem with the Ranger. We easily pass the big rigs on the high-altitude passes we frequently go over without a sweat. Downhill is substantially less comfortable, especially considering how little compression braking is available from the diminutive 2.3L engine and the knowledge that the trailer behind us is considerably heavier than the truck is. I always shift to "sport" mode going down steep hills and shift way down, frequently to 3rd or even 2nd gear at highway speeds. Fortunately, the brake controller and trailer brakes work well. We endevour to stay at 55 mph or slower going downhill. (at which point all the big rigs we just passed going up pass us going down)

It's less than a comfortable cross-country drive, especially if there's much of a breeze at all. If it's the least bit gusty, you will feel it and will have to be correcting for it. I spend a lot of time studying trees as we pass to see which direction the wind is coming from, how hard and how gusty. Same for watching the rear view mirror in the interstates for big rigs or other large vehicles about to pass which you really do feel and it's unpleasant if they surprise you. It's times like that which I'd really appreciate an extra half-ton and foot of wheelbase.

As I said above, even in calm wind speeds above 65 do not feel comfortable or confident. Since I wrote the above, I now mostly stay at 60 because it's most comfortable and the mileage/range goes to hell after 55 anyway.

I was originally drawn to the Ranger because I really didn't want a full-sized truck for the half of the year that I wouldn't be towing with it. It really is a great size for those of us who don't need or want a full-sized truck the rest of the time, fits so comfortably in my garage, and can be had for substantially less than a similarly-equipped F-150. But in retrospect, considering the trailer we now tow I do think we might have been better off or at least a bit more comfortable with an F-150 weighing an extra half-ton with an extra ton-and-a-half of towing capacity and foot of wheelbase.

I'm not saying any of the above to discourage you, but just to let you know my personal experience. If we had settled for the trailer that is closer to what you are considering, I might feel different.

Hope this was useful. Good luck, and let us know how it works out.

What he said exactly.

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